The 48 laws of power

1. The 48 Laws of Power
Book Summary
Submitted By:
Group 1
Nikhil Madan(PGP30323)
Mit Kotecha(PGP30207)
Ruchi Singh(PGP30220)
Divleen Talwar(PGP30017)

2. LAW 1: Never Outshine the Master
House Slave
Stephen knew it
the best !!!
• Make your superior feel comfortable
• Do not show your talent too much, as it will make your
superiors feel insecure
• Make the Master appear brilliant then they are and you will
attain the heights of power
There can be only one Sun In the Sky
at a time so never rival its brilliance.

3. LAW 2: Never put too much trust in friends,
Learn to use Enemies
Your enemies are like an untapped gold
mine that you must learn to exploit.
• Friends will quickly betray you whereas enemies
are more loyal, as they have more to prove
• Keep friends as friends, but work with those
who are intelligent and skilled
• Hire your former enemies

4. LAW 3: Conceal your Intentions
Deception is always the best strategy, but the best deceptions require a
screen of smoke to distract people’s attention from your real purpose.

5. LAW 4: Always say Less than Necessary
A person who cannot control his words shows that he
cannot control himself, and is unworthy of respect.
• More you speak More common you look
• Attain better control by speaking less
• Powerful people impress and intimidate by
speaking less, as people fail to decipher the
real intentions
Be like Oracle of
Delphi !!!

6. LAW 5: So much Depends on Reputation –
Guard it with your Life
Reputation is the
cornerstone of Power
Reputation alone can make
you Win
Destroy enemies by
attacking their Reputation
and then step aside to see
Public hanging them

7. LAW 6:Court Attention At All Cost
• Everything is judged by appearance, what is
unseen counts for nothing
• Never get lost in the crowd
• Be mysterious, appear more colorful than masses

8. LAW 7: Get Others To Do The Work, But
Always Take Credit
Use the skills of others to do the work for you and
never do yourself what others can do for you.
This will help you in increasing your efficiency.

9. LAW 8:Make Other People Come To You – Use
Bait If Necessary
• When you force others to act, you’re in control.
• Make opponents come to you.
• Lure with gains, then attack.

10. LAW 9:Win Through Your Actions, Never
Through Argument
• You never win through argument.
• The resentment last long.
• It’s more powerful to agree with actions.

11. LAW 10:Infection: Avoid The Unhappy and
Unlucky
• You’ll die from other’s misery - emotional states are as infectious as diseases.
• The unfortunate draw misfortune on themselves and will draw it on you.
• Associate with the happy and fortunate.

12. LAW 11:Learn To Keep People Dependent On
You

13. LAW 12:Use Selective Honesty and Generosity
to Disarm Your Victim

14. LAW 13:When Asking For Help, Appeal To People’s
Self-Interest, Never To Their Mercy or Gratitude
• In your quest for power, you’ll constantly be asking others, more powerful than you, for help. Fulfillment of his
self-interest will excite him to participate. Reminders of past good deeds are fruitless as people are generally
not interested in others’ needs.
• Find something that will benefit them and emphasize it out of proportion.

15. LAW 14:Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy

16. LAW 15:Crush Your Enemy Totally

17. LAW 16:Use Absence To Increase Respect and
Honor

18. LAW 17: Keep Others In Suspended Terror:
Cultivate an Air Of Unpredictability
Being
predictable
gives control to
other
Behavior that
isn’t consistent
will wear
people out
When used to
the extreme
you’ll
intimidate

19. LAW 18: Do Not Build Fortresses To Protect
Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous

20. LAW 19:Know Who You’re Dealing With, Do
Not Offend The Wrong Person
• Never assume everyone will react the same way,
people are very different and you need to
customize your behavior.
• Choose your victims and opponents carefully,
then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

21. LAW 20:Do Not Commit To Anyone
• Maintain independence, do not rush to pick a side.
• Make people chase you and play people against one another.

22. LAW 21:Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker, Seem
Dumber Than Your Mark

23. LAW 22:Use The Surrender Tactic, Transform
Weakness Into Power
When you’re
weaker, never fight
just for honor but
surrender
Do not give them
the satisfaction to
win, surrender
By turning the other
check you infuriate
and unsettle him.

24. LAW 23:Concentrate Your Forces
• Find a fat cow that’ll give you milk for a
long time rather than a few thin ones

25. LAW 24:Play The Perfect Courtier
• The perfect courtier thrives in a world
where everything revolves around
power and political dexterity
• He has mastered the art of indirection; he
flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts
power over others in the most oblique and
graceful manner

26. LAW 25:Re-create Yourself
Be the master
of your own
image
Use large gestures and
actions-your character
will seem huge and
you’ll gain power
Create an
identity that
commands
attention and
never bores

27. LAW 26:Keep Your Hands Clean

28. LAW 27:Play on People’s Need To Believe To
Create a Cultlike Following
• People have an overwhelming desire to believe in
something
• Give them a cause to follow
• Be vague, but full of promise
• Emphasize enthusiasm over rationality
• Give disciples rituals to follow

29. LAW 28: Enter Action With Boldness
• If unsure of a course
of action, do not
attempt it
• Doubts and
hesitations will infect
execution
• Timidity is dangerous
• Mistakes committed
with audacity are
easily corrected with
more audacity

30. LAW 29: Play All The Way To The End
• Take into account all possible consequences, obstacles, twists in fortune that might
reverse your hard work and give glory to others
• Not be overwhelmed by circumstances and know
when to stop

31. LAW 30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem
Effortless
• Actions must seem natural and executed with ease
• All toil, practice and tricks must be concealed
• Do not reveal how hard you work- Raises questions

32. LAW 31: Control The Options, Get Others To
Play With The Cards You Deal
• Give people options that come out in your favor
despite their choice
• Force them to make choices between the lesser
of two evils

33. LAW 32: Play To People’s Fantasies

34. LAW 33: Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew
• Everyone has a weakness- insecurity, emotional need, secret pleasure; TAKE ADVANTAGE

35. LAW 34: Be Royal In Your Own Fashion, Act
Like A King To Be Treated Like One
• Respect yourself, inspire the
same sentiment in others
• Act regally and confident:
destined to wear a crown
• Appearing vulgar
and common will
make people
disrespect you

36. LAW 35: Master The Art Of Timing

37. LAW 36: Disdain Things You Cannot Have,
Ignoring Them Is The Best Revenge

38. Law 37:Create Compelling Spectacles

39. Law 38:Think as you like but Behave like
others
Don’t Otherwise

40. Law 39: Stir up Waters to Catch Fish
You! Your enemy!
• You must always stay calm and objective
• But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided
advantage

41. Law 40: Despise the Free Lunch
• What is offered for free is
dangerous – it usually
involves either a trick or a
hidden obligation
• It is also often wise to pay
the full price
• Be lavish with your money
and keep it circulating

42. Law 41: Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s
Shoes
• If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double
their achievements to outshine them
• Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making
• Establish your own name and identity by changing course

43. Law 42:Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep
will Scatter
• Trouble can often be
traced to a single
strong individual
• Do not wait for the
troubles they cause to
multiply
• Strike at the source of
the trouble and the
sheep will scatter

44. Law 43:Work on the Hearts and Minds of
Others
• The way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses
• Work on people’s emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear

45. Law 44:Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror
Effect

46. Law 45:Preach the Need for Change, but
Never Reform too much at Once
• Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt
• If you are new to a position of power, make a show of respecting the old way of doing
things
• If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past

47. Law 46: Never appear too Perfect
• Only gods and the
dead can seem
perfect with impunity
• Appearing better than
others is always
dangerous
• It is smart to
occasionally display
defects, and admit to
harmless vices

48. Law 47:Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed
for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop
• Do not allow
success to go to
your head
• There is no
substitute for
strategy and
careful planning
• Set a goal, and
when you reach it,
stop

49. Law 48:Assume Formlessness
Keep yourself adaptable and on the
move
The best way to protect yourself is to
be as fluid and formless as water
Never bet on stability or lasting
order. Everything changes

50. Thank you!